Intraluminal duodenal diverticulum causing acute pancreatitis: CT scan diagnosis and review of the literature

Background: Intraluminal duodenal diverticulum is a rare congenital anomaly . First described by Boyd in 1845, no more than 100 cases have been reporte d up to now: only 17 are associated with acute pancreatitis. Methods: A new case of intraluminal duodenal diverticulum with acute pancreatitis is repo rted and the literature about this association reviewed. Results: The diagn osis was made by helical CT scan. The pathogenesis of pancreatitis was poss ibly due to a pure duodenal content reflux through the papilla of Vater. Th e patient was successfully treated by surgery. Conclusions: Intraluminal du odenal diverticulum is a rare but curable cause of pancreatitis, usually af fecting young people. We describe, for the first time, its unusual helical CT imaging with two-dimensional reformations. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.